Three years ago, I had to make that decision. My choice to attend a single-gendered high school is a decision I will never regret.

Girls in particular work better in school when there aren’t any boys around. They are able to better focus on their education and achieve high grades for university. Who is truly able to concentrate on a chemistry lesson when you have an extremely attractive boy as your lab partner? Definitely not this girl. I would likely forget about molecular bonds and focus more on creating a friendhsip bond.

There is also something special about the hallways of an all-girls school that brings confidence to a student. That girl is strutting down the hall with her chin held high and a smile on her face. She holds this fearlessness because if she were ever to trip and fall, she knows that there will be a group of girls ready to help her back on her feet. If I were struggling in school, had relationship problems or family issues, it’s reassuring to always have someone to talk to. Everyone thinks that all-girls schools only focus on academic achievement, but they also promote strong and positive relationships among girls.

When teenage girls deal with their insecurities, an all-girls school can provide an environment to encourage sisterhood and self-expression. By being around each other for a long period of time without boys, girls can be themselves and can open up about anything, thus creating a stronger sisterhood.

Whether it be planning for a school event or being on the basketball team, the sisterhood is shown through the success of the beautifully planned event or the victory after a tough game. It’s also extremely comforting that I’m able to enter the building without any makeup on, showcasing my imperfections and dishevelled hair and knowing that I won’t be judged.

All-girls schools are not entirely perfect, but they do prepare girls academically and emotionally for the future — the main reasons I chose to attend such a school. Girls will gain that sense of leadership because of the confidence that they’ve acquired. And all worries about self-consciousness and shyness disappear because of the level of comfort they have developed. Most importantly, these girls will have felt a sense of belonging because they are a part of a high school family.

Being the girl who struts down hallways with confidence, I hope that when I walk down them for the last time, it will be together with my “sisters,” making our way to the exit as we head toward tomorrow as confident women.

(Oro, 16, is a Grade 11 student at St. Joseph’s College School in Toronto.)